Lithology and Porosity

Wellsite Log Interpretation

(AFP Open Hole Log Analysis)
The importance of lithology and porosity

• Lithology
– Inferences about the pore network (connected or not?)
– Completion concerns
– Parameterization

• Porosity
– Fluid storage capacity of the reservoir
– Inferences about permeability
– Required for water saturation estimates
– Required for volumetric reserves estimates

Internal Use Only

Lithology and porosity tools

• Lithology
– Gamma Ray
– Spectral Density
– Dual Spaced Neutron
– Acoustic services

• Porosity
– Spectral Density
– Dual Spaced Neutron
– Acoustic services
– Magnetic resonance (MRIL)

Internal Use Only

Gamma ray

• Measures gamma radiation emitted by naturally occurring elements:

– Potassium
– Uranium
– Thorium

• Basic usefulness
– Shales – often contain highest concentrations of K-U-Th.
– Non-shales – much lower concentrations

• Gamma ray alone cannot conclusively answer the lithology question

in many cases!

Internal Use Only

 Gamma Ray

Gamma ray 0 GAPI 150

Shale?
• Very useful in sand-shale-sand
sequences.
Not shale
• Not so useful in more complex
lithology cases.
Shale?
• Applications:
– Depth control, correlation
– Bed boundaries, thickness
– Lithology (shale vs. non-shale) Not shale

– Estimating volume of shale (VSH)

– Rock properties
Shale?

Internal Use Only

Gamma ray

• Remember!
– Gamma ray response depends upon concentration of radioactive
elements.
– Many rocks other than shale can contain high concentrations of these
elements!

• Never trust gamma ray as the sole indicator of lithology!

– Shale and dolomite can easily be confused.
– Sands and carbonates can be unusually radioactive.
– Different shales contain varying amounts of radioactive elements.

Internal Use Only

Primary porosity

Interparticle Voids existing between any grains

Voids existing within a grain, clast, or fossil

Intraparticle
fragment

Voids existing between any crystalline grains

Intercrystalline
(such as dolomite)

Voids created when sediment is prevented

Shelter from being deposited by some other grain,
clast, or fossil

Internal Use Only

Secondary porosity

Dissolution Large voids created by the

vugs dissolution of matrix

Large voids created by the

Dissolution
continued dissolution of vugs
channels
or along fractures

Internal Use Only

Porosity is porosity…right?

• Primary and secondary are geologic terms that refer to the timing of
porosity development.

• When porosity formed is not important to us.

– We want to know if pores are interconnected and fluids can flow
through them.

• Petrophysical definitions of porosity:

– Total porosity (ΦT)
– Effective porosity (ΦE)
– Isolated porosity (= ΦT – ΦE)

Internal Use Only

Effective vs. isolated porosity
Effective Isolated

Internal Use Only

Pore types in sandstones

• Generally very effective (permeable).

• Isolated pores possible, but not very abundant.

Internal Use Only

Pore types in carbonates

• Anything goes! (effective and/or isolated)

• Can contain multiple pore types and sizes.
• Highly variable permeability.

Internal Use Only

Spectral Density (SDLT)

• Measures electron density and gamma absorption properties of the

formation.
• Gamma rays lose energy as they
travel through formation.
• Energy loss depends upon electron Formation
density, which is proportional to bulk
density.

• Gamma rays can also be absorbed.

• Probability of absorption related to
formation’s atomic number (Z).
• Atomic number depends on mineralogy.

Internal Use Only

Spectral Density (SDLT)

• Measurement: bulk density (ρb)

• Objective: porosity estimation

ρma - ρb
ΦD = ρ - ρ
ma fl

• Matrix density (assumed) • Fluid density (assumed)

– Sandstone 2.65 g/cc – Fresh water 1.0 g/cc
– Limestone 2.71 g/cc – Saltwater 1.1 g/cc
– Dolomite 2.87 g/cc – OBM 0.85 g/cc

Internal Use Only

Spectral Density (SDLT)

• Measurement: photoelectric factor (Pe)

• Objective: lithology determination

• Pure lithologies have characteristic Pe values:

– Sandstone (quartz) 1.81
– Limestone (calcite) 5.08
– Dolomite 3.14
– Anhydrite 5.05
– Halite 4.65

• Shale has a range of Pe values (~ 2.5 – 4.0).

• Pe is often an excellent indicator of predominant lithology.

Internal Use Only

Spectral Density (SDLT)

• Remember!
– Density porosity estimates are only correct when both matrix and fluid
assumptions are accurate!
– Always check these assumptions.

• For accurate estimates of porosity, the SDLT must be run in

combination with the Dual Spaced Neutron.

Internal Use Only

Spectral Density (SDLT)

• Don’t ignore the caliper!

• Density porosity and Pe values are invalid in washouts.

Internal Use Only

Dual Spaced Neutron (DSN-II)

• Measures abundance of hydrogen in formation.

• Neutrons lose energy as they

travel through formation.
Formation
• Energy loss depends upon the
abundance of hydrogen.
• Energy loss also depends upon
lithology.

• Assuming H+ is present only in pore

fluids, the abundance of hydrogen
provides an estimate of porosity.

Internal Use Only

Dual Spaced Neutron (DSN-II)

• Measurement: count rate ratio (near/far)

• Objective: porosity estimation

ΦN = you don’t want to see this equation!

• Matrix (assumed) • Fluid type (assumed)

– Sandstone – Always assumed to be fresh
– Limestone water-filled pore space!
– Dolomite
– Limey-sandstone
– Limey-dolomite

Internal Use Only

Dual Spaced Neutron (DSN-II)

• Remember!
– Neutron porosity estimates are only correct when both matrix and fluid
assumptions are accurate!
– Always check these assumptions.

• For accurate estimates of porosity, the DSN-II must be run in

combination with the Spectral Density Logging Tool.

Internal Use Only

Dual Spaced Neutron (DSN-II)

• Don’t ignore the caliper!

• Neutron porosity values are invalid in washouts.

Internal Use Only

Dual Spaced Neutron (DSN-II)

• There is a problem in shaly formations.

– Clay’s contain H+ in their crystal structure, causing neutron porosity to
be overestimated.

• There is a problem in gas-bearing formations.

– Neutron porosity is computed assuming that any pore space is filled
with water.
– Gas contains less H+ than an equal volume of water; therefore,
neutron porosity is underestimated.

Internal Use Only

Neutron-density combinations

• Lithology determination
– With or without benefit of the Pe measurement.

• Porosity estimation
– Provide an estimate of total porosity.
– Cross-plot porosity:

2 2
ΦD + ΦN
Φ xp =
2

– Errors in matrix/fluid assumptions are cancelled out by the opposing

nature of the tools’ responses!

Internal Use Only

Associate Field Professional – Open Hole

Internal Use Only